Australia vs Russia: Plastic waste exports
Australia
28,020 tonnes
in 2024
Russia
35,846 tonnes
in 2021
Australia rank
25th
Russia rank
23rd
Plastic waste exports over time
- Australia
- Russia
How they compare
Russia currently reports 35,846 tonnes against 28,020 tonnes in Australia, a difference of 7,826 tonnes.
That makes Russia's figure about 1.3 times Australia's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 26 shared years of data; in 1996 it was Australia ahead.
Australia ranks 25th and Russia ranks 23rd of 167 countries.
Australia has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | Russia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 25,461 tonnes | 4,060 tonnes | 21,400 tonnes | Australia |
| 2000s | 88,839 tonnes | 5,730 tonnes | 83,108 tonnes | Australia |
| 2010s | 154,664 tonnes | 14,022 tonnes | 140,642 tonnes | Australia |
| 2020s | 50,232 tonnes | 30,745 tonnes | 19,487 tonnes | Australia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher plastic waste exports, Australia or Russia?
- Russia, at 35,846 tonnes against 28,020 tonnes in Australia as of 2021.
- What is the difference in plastic waste exports between Australia and Russia?
- 7,826 tonnes, with Russia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Russia?
- 26 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2021.
- How do Australia and Russia rank globally for plastic waste exports?
- Australia ranks 25th and Russia ranks 23rd of 167 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Plastic waste exports. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The amount of plastic waste a country exports to other countries, measured in tonnes per year.